Serenity smiled. “Not everyone can be as decisive as you, Ms. Stone. Relationships are difficult to handle.”Even she was not as confident and cool as Elisa was. Back when she found out Zachary had been lying to her, she asked to get a divorce out of anger. However, she was agonized about the decision as well. Although Elisa had been hurt before, she was able to cut off her feelings cleanly. That was admirable. Many women would be unable to do the same. Elisa smiled. “You’re right. I never hesitate. I give up once I know there is no hope for me. It isn’t as if I can’t marry someone else. No need for me to fight someone over a man. There’s surely a man out there for me from all the nice guys in the world.“You should call Zachary and get him to contact Dylan as soon as possible. I want to know all the tea.”Elisa had been influenced by Serenity and Jasmine and became a gossip queen herself. Jasmine was the luckiest because she could get first-hand information. She would alway
“Are you in Wiltspoon now, Dylan?”“Yes. I’m back.”Feeling apologetic, Dylan explained, “I’ve been busy since I returned and haven’t had the time to visit Nana. Does she miss me? I shall spend some time with her this weekend.”Grandma May was a child at heart. She loved having her grandsons entertaining her. Of course, the York brothers were more than willing to accompany her whenever they had time. However, it would always end with them being made fun of. Nothing mattered as long as she was happy. “It’s not about this weekend. Do you have time tonight? Serenity says she wants to treat you to dinner at Wiltspoon Hotel. You should come over tonight.”Dylan was stunned. He asked, “Serenity wants to buy me dinner?”Why would she do that out of the blue?Dylan was flustered. Something felt off to him. Maybe that was why he had been nervous the entire evening. “Yes. Come over at half past five. Serenity and I will be waiting for you at the hotel. If you happen to arrive e
Zachary could not be bothered about what Dylan thought. He relayed the message, and Dylan gave him a reply. Even if Dylan guessed something, he probably dared not break his promise. As long as he still respected Zachary, he would show up for dinner. Zachary called Serenity to report his success. He also asked her why she thought of treating Dylan to a meal. Serenity smiled, “Dylan’s partner came to me. She’s the one Nana chose for him.”“Why did she look for you? Shouldn’t she go to Dylan?”Zachary enquired after being taken aback momentarily. “Ms. Doyle said Dylan didn’t pick up his phone or respond to messages sometimes. Since she didn’t know his address in Wiltspoon either, she had no choice but to come to me.“My employees told me a beauty was waiting for me once I reached the company earlier. I thought you cheated on me and that my love rival was here to chase me away from you.”Zachary got agitated. “That’s impossible. We’ve been husband and wife for so long. Anyone
Zachary agreed with Serenity’s arrangements. They were giving Dylan and Imogen a chance to sort things out without interfering too much. “I’ve informed Dylan. He’ll come.”“I knew I could count on you. Go back to work, babe. I’ll get back to mine too.”“Okay. Don’t tire yourself out or stay seated for too long. Remember to take short walks from time to time.”Although Serenity was still in the early stage of pregnancy, sitting too long was not good for her.“I know. I cherish this baby more than you do.”After the husband and wife exchanged a few more words, Serenity ended the call. Meanwhile, in Satbury, Austin was working in the kitchen alone. Dominic had already bought the ingredients he needed, all crisp and fresh. Since Dominic had no idea of Austin’s menu, he did not offer any help and left Austin alone. Well, Austin did not need help.An evening was more than enough for him. He was not going to cook up a feast anyway. It would be a few simple dishes for Isabell
Tati said, “It’s good enough if you ate it. There are only so many patissiers in Satbury who can make desserts that satisfy you.”Isabella was rendered speechless. She looked toward Tati and asked, “Be honest with me, Tati. Did you fall in love with Austin at first sight? You’ve been paying a lot of attention to him. You’re also very concerned if he can become my chef.“If you like him, you can switch your chef and hire him instead. Not only can you eat the food he makes every day, but you can also date him. However, he’s only a chef. He’s way below your league. I don’t know if your parents can accept a chef as their son-in-law.“Definitely not my parents.”The O’Connors were one of the top families in Satbury. Naturally, their standards for a son-in-law would be pretty high. Isabella was not looking down on anybody. She simply agreed that one should look for a partner on par with themselves. That way, both sides would have minimal disparity in knowledge and perspectives. They
Therefore, Tati’s father never cared about his children. Only their mother did, so they were closer to her. Isabella told Tati, “Stop listening to gossip. You’ll only know if marriage is for you after experiencing it yourself.“With our family, we don’t have to worry about being mistreated. We have enough support.”Isabella said, “We’re more than capable, and our family is powerful. Based on these two points, I don’t think our married lives will be terrible as long as we choose a man of good character.”“You’re right. When are you going to get a boyfriend? I want a brother-in-law.”Isabella scolded Tati, “Don’t overstep. Do I look like I have time to date someone? Men who meet our standards are mostly married, and we won’t even consider those who aren’t suitable for us. Why should we be in a rush?“I believe in fate. If we’re destined to be with someone, we’ll meet them one day, no matter the distance.“Go back to work. We can head back for dinner together at five.”Business
Isabella began to flip through Austin’s information, focused.It was simple. All it said was that he had two brothers and his parents were retired, with the older brother married and had a harmonious family. He had his own business and some achievements. Though he was technically the boss now, he still loved cooking and having loved cooking ever since he was young.Austin’s information did not state that he was one of the Wiltspoon Yorks. Though it was possible Isabella’s secretary was simply unable to find that out, it was also possible that Zachary was helping Austin hide his status so Isabella would not be scared of employing him.However, Zachary had not concealed Austin’s success as a business owner because Austin needed some achievements to show off, lest Isabella eliminate him as a potential romantic interest because he was poor.Zachary was also worried the O’Connor elders would look down on Austin as not all rich families were like the Yorks who only prioritized character
“Uncle Dylan!” Sonny greeted cheerfully. He rarely saw Dylan and was not close to him, so he just greeted him verbally. He did not run over to ask for a hug like he would with Callum and the others.Dylan spread his arms toward Sonny with a smile. “C’mere, Sonny. Let me give you a hug.”Sonny looked at Serenity for approval and only walked over to Dylan once she nodded. Dylan picked him up. “Hi, Uncle Dylan.”“I haven’t seen you in ages. You’ve gotten a little heavier than before. You need to eat more to grow bigger quickly.”Sonny replied, “You just said I got a little heavier. That’s because I ate lots and grew bigger!”Dylan laughed. “That’s right. Did you miss me?”“No, I don’t see you very often so I’m not that close to you, so I haven’t missed you.”Dylan said to Serenity, “Sonny really is honest. He doesn’t even know how to lie.”“It’s good for little kids to be honest.”Sonny also said, “My teacher says we should be honest kids that don’t lie.”“Right, right. Looks li
“Okay.”Kade said gently, “I’ll hang up and send you my location. We can talk when we meet.”Soon, Kade ended the call and sent Imogen his location. It took Imogen and Dylan about ten minutes to find him. “Kade.”Imogen was happy when she saw him. She ran toward him elatedly.Dylan saw a man about his age or a few years older than him. The man looked handsome and gentlemanly. He wore a gray suit without a tie, which made him look like a successful person. From Imogen, Dylan knew his love rival was a senior executive of a multinational company. He was competent since he was assigned to return and handle the business in the country. Kade’s mother and Leticia were best friends. Kade was also Leticia’s godson. Imogen had known him since he was young, and the parents of the two families intended to bring their kids together. Upon seeing Kade in the flesh, Dylan felt threatened. If he wanted to win, he had to put effort into pursuing Imogen. If Imogen loved him and was will
“You can decide what we have for dinner, Mom. I don’t have any opinions.”Some of the Doyles were busy during the weekends, while others would take a rest. Either way, they still had time to have dinner together. After ending the call with her mother, Imogen told Dylan, “When we meet Kade at the airport, we can have lunch there first. We’ll only eat with my family during dinner.”Dylan had heard Leticia’s words through the phone. He said, “Will Mr. Butcher be staying with your family?”Dylan found it normal for them to have dinner together. After all, that Kade guy was his future mother-in-law’s godson. Since he was finally back in the country, it was customary for Leticia to invite him over for a meal. However, Dylan could not help but feel jealous about Kade staying at the Doyles’ mansion. When he could not even enter their mansion most of the time, Kade could immediately move in. If Kade got closer to the Doyles, he would be a more significant threat to Dylan. Imogen
“We can head there in my car.”Dylan was delighted that Imogen allowed him to go to the airport with her. “Any car is fine.”Imogen led him out of the house. Dylan quickly followed after her and opened the car door for her. He even hovered his hand above her head to prevent her from hitting the roof of the car.“You’re so attentive.”Imogen complimented him as she fastened her seatbelt in the car. “I’ll only be gentlemanly to you aside from my family members.”Imogen glanced at him but did not say a word. A few minutes later, Dylan drove out of the Doyle residence with Imogen in his car.Not long after they left, Leticia went downstairs.She noticed the gifts on the table but did not see Imogen anywhere. Thinking he had kidnapped her daughter, she quickly called Wendy over and asked, “Did Jen head out?”“Yes. Ms. Imogen had gone out with Mr. Dylan. She said they were heading to the airport to receive someone.”Wendy had overheard Imogen and Dylan’s conversation, so she
She did not expect him to be discharged that soon.“Let him in.”Mr. and Mrs. Doyle were not awake yet. They would not stop Dylan from entering. With Imogen’s orders, Wendy quickly called the security booth and told the security to let Dylan in. Imogen stood at her door a few minutes later and watched his car stop before her. “Why are you discharged?” Imogen asked as soon as Dylan got out of the car. He was still coughing.Imogen frowned. His body belonged to himself. Who would love him if he did not know how to care for himself?“I feel much better after spending two days in the hospital on IV drips. The doctor said I could be discharged and gave me three days’ supply of medication. If I’m not fully recovered after finishing the medicines, I can return to get more.“The doctor said I should be fine after this round of medication. He also said I’m generally healthy and that my condition only got that severe because I ate a lot of chili peppers in one sitting.“I have to e
Imogen smiled. “Stop teasing him, Layla. He doesn’t eat spicy food at all. Eating that much chili peppers can be deadly for him.“I’ll be heading back to work today. I can’t take care of him at the hospital every day. I don’t want to let him think that I’ve accepted him just because he ate chili peppers once.”Layla said, “That’s right. You can’t be tricked by his pity play.”“Dylan didn’t torture himself to gain my pity, Layla. He was hospitalized because he ate the chili peppers. His fever, cough, and sore throat are all real. His voice is still hoarse when he speaks.”Imogen could not help but defend Dylan.Layla replied, “Look at you. I only criticize him a little, yet you’re already defending him.“Jen, the person who falls first will always be at a disadvantage.“Listen to me. Don’t dedicate anything to this relationship before Dylan falls in love with you as who you are. Don’t be manipulated by him.“You’re usually sharp and capable, yet you seem to lose all rationality
“Why do you want to see me? Didn’t you see enough of me yesterday? Besides, I’m not your beloved Miss Fox. You said it yourself—no matter how you tried and put in the effort, you couldn’t love me.“I’m just a good friend to your sisters-in-law, and Grandma May specifically called me to ask me to look after you for a day. That’s the only reason I did it.“Dylan, I’m not going back to you.”It was he who said that he did not love her. She had fallen for him, but when he said he did not love her, she hid her feelings.Now, he had realized that she was Chameleon Fox and the person he truly loved had always been her. Imogen had been more or less jealous of her own self all this time.If he had not fallen for Imogen but proceeded to get together with her, then it would feel like he was treating her as a substitute. Fox was Imogen, and Imogen was Fox—but she had still stubbornly distinguished the two.“I know, Imogen,” Dylan said softly.He did not assume he had won her over just bec
The night passed peacefully.The next morning, Dylan woke up. He had been woken by the heat.The room was heated, and he had bundled himself up tightly before going to sleep. By midnight, he had started sweating, but he continued to sleep, so by morning, he was feeling too hot and woke up.“Imogen…” He instinctively called out her name.His voice was still hoarse, but it was much better than yesterday. When he received no answer, he remembered that Imogen had gone home last night. He was alone in the hospital.Late last night, his mother had called him, but only to laugh at him.Now, all alone, in a strange place, and sick, Dylan felt just a tiny bit homesick. It was much more comfortable at Wildridge Manor, after all. When all the York boys were home, it was lively and warm. There was his nana to fuss over him, and even though his parents liked to make jabs at him, they still cared deeply for him.It felt boring at home, but once he left, he realized how warm home really was.
Sasha chimed in, “Exactly. It’s fine to laugh in front of us, but you laughed so loudly on the call too. Dylan is hurt both physically and emotionally, and no one is comforting him.”Rosella responded, “But Imogen is there to take care of him. She’ll comfort him.”Sasha sighed. “It’s so late now. Imogen needs to go back and rest, doesn’t she? Dylan hasn’t even won her over yet, so how could Imogen stay the entire night in the hospital with him?”Grandma May laughed, “You ladies know it’s late too, so why aren’t you three going back to your rooms to rest? Fortunately, the rooms are big enough that we can all chat here without disturbing anyone.“Remember, we’re guests. We mustn’t disturb the rest of the Johnsons just because we’ve come.”The three sisters-in-law glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight.As the eldest sister-in-law, Tania led the way. She stood up and said to Grandma May, “Mom, we’ll head back to rest now. Tomorrow, let’s go out and walk around.”The scenery a
“Mom, I’m your real son!”“If you weren’t, I wouldn’t even bother with you and don’t even want to make this call.”Rosella added, “Alright, now that I know you’re fine, I can relax. Be good to Imogen, she’s a really good girl. I like her a lot. I hope you can get together this year.“Once you’re finally not single anymore, it should be about time for your younger brother to start dating too. Once all three of you are out of the bachelor’s club, all I have to do is wait for my first grandchild to be born.“I’ve saved up a lot of money for both your weddings, though honestly, I don’t think you’ll need it. You all are capable enough to make your own money to get married, so the money I saved for you can go toward my granddaughter instead.“I don’t even know if I’ll be fortunate enough to have a granddaughter.” Rosella sighed. “After seeing little Clo-clo, I finally understand why your nana is so fixated on her and wants to kidnap her. “That kid is so cute. She’s pretty, adorable,